Tiling Walls: Preparing For The Best Outcome

Tiling your own walls or floor is certainly an option especially if you are good at DIY. Of course some aspects are harder than others and you should try to make it as easy as possible. For example if you have tight spaces having large porcelain tiles may not be the best option as you will find yourself constantly having to cut them which can become a hassle and a of waste time. However, even before getting the tiles you can make your life easier by preparing.

Having the surface prepared is essential, as tiles installed on a poorly prepared surface can quickly crack and lift off and where there is water it can seep inside. So you want to ensure that you have the surface as fully prepared, as it would be horrible to see your hard work ruined. Even if you have the best quality products from tools to porcelain tiles you still should ensure that the surface is fully prepared.

Preparing the surface:

1) Scrape of any old tile grout or adhesive.
2) Remove any nails
3) Take off an loose sections of plaster
4) Remove any flaking wall paper or paint
5) Ensure that there are no particles of dust or grit left
6) Fill in any holes with filler
7) When the filler is dry, sand it down so that the surface is straight.

You should check the straightness of the surface with a spirit level or even a long plank of wood. If the wall is still not straight you can fix it with filler. If the gap is less than 5mm then you can just alter it with additional tile adhesive.

If it is all prepared then you can vacuum the area, clean the surface with a damp cloth, apply acrylic primer and start tilling!

Top tiling tips:

If the surface is newly plastered you should leave it at least a month to dry out before you start tiling – which can be quite annoying but if not it could result in a poor finish and damp behind the tiles

If you have a bare brick wall you should install tile backer boards as the wall will be too uneven to tile straight on to.

Welcome To Our Guides

Our simple guides are aimed at helping those of you who own your own property to make improvements that both change your lifestyle for the better but also add value to your home. They are for those who are planning to move house, want to buy a house, have just moved to a new home or have been in your current house for a while but have lost enthusiasm and are looking for home improvement ideas and interior design tips.

We have simple tips for home improvements on a budget, including colour and design advice courtesy of Lorelei from ImpulseBlogger.com and more technical advice on things like how to install tiles or create a wet room. We even like to recommend some good art for your walls from time to time if something catches our eye.

We also love looking at clever storage solutions that make the most of the storage in your home but if you really don’t have enough storage we are big fans of decluttering and have plenty of advice to help you achieve a clutter-free home. Or, failing that we know some good places to find cheap self-storage (like the lovely people over at Cambridge Self Storage) and where you can compare self storage prices if you really can’t bear to part with all your stuff.

So take a look around – we hope you find something of interest…

The Ultimate Guide To Decluttering

When you enter your home, you want to come in to a place that promotes peace and calm after a busy day. Whether you are returning home from work, a school run, or shopping, or as you get older, when you spend more and more time in your own home. When you enter a house that has had a good declutter you will find it is easier to relax and enjoy the space that you live in.

When your house is untidy and cluttered, it can make you feel on edge as you are surrounded by things that you may not really want or even need. Even if you have a cluttered house that is actually tidy (with lots of clever storage units), there is still the dreaded moment of opening the cupboards to try and find something that you are looking for that is buried beneath clutter.

According to the inimitable Eric at Eric Land Mentoring living in a clutter free home will definitely make life less stressful, make for a calmer lifestyle and make it easier to find things when you need them.

Even the older generation are benefiting from this trend as more and more of them choose to remain in their own homes as they become less mobile and less able to care for themselves. Clear spaces with little clutter then become not only calm, restful spaces but also practical and safer spaces for them. As elderly people increasingly find that homecare or 24/7 care suits their needs they are discovering that contemporary spaces with practical tile flooring and wet rooms make their lives easier.